GREENSBORO, N.C. — Nonprofits like Triad Stage in downtown Greensboro have had to be creative for the past six months.
"We're still planning for that 20th season, will that be September 2021, 2022 I don't know, we don't have a crystal ball," Jody Cauthen said. She's the Director of Development at Triad Stage.
In Phase 2.5, entertainment venues like Triad Stage can hold productions, but they must still follow the mass gathering limits.
Cauthen said an audience of only 25 wouldn't be worth the costs of a production.
"Phase 2.5 doesn't really affect is in any positive or negative way, it's a sort of holding pattern for us," she explained. "We're still using the time to plan and pivoting a lot of our programing to online or virtual platforms."
A positive attitude through and through, Cauthen said virtual shows and fundraisers are keeping Triad Stage at bay.
"We really did see great community support to the tune of about $250,000 dollars," she explained. "So that was tremendous in this pandemic time of uncertainties and unknowns that we had such tremendous support not just from individuals but corporate companies in Greensboro."
Triad stage said on a normal year, they employ around 265 people. Now they're down to 17 but staying busy with planning.
"We long to get back to having 265 annual employees it's just we can't do it right this second but we will be doing it soon."
Check out some of the virtual shows that are in the works!
"We really try to stay positive, at our core we’re a creative company and although we can't produce theater in the traditional sense we immediately pivoted in mid-march to an online platform."